D.A.T. #6 | Anzac | Love Lives On

Welcome to this week's Digital Awesome Time!

This week, our story from the bible is about Jesus appearing to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The disciples didn't recognise him at first, so got rather a big surprise when they realised the stranger was Jesus! You can read the story from the bible, or watch the two videos below.

The story reminds me that every day we make new discoveries, about ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes we discover new things about someone, when we thought we already knew everything there was to know about that person. 

Every time I go on my afternoon walk, I see God's amazing world shining all around. The trees, flowers, streams, the chattering little fantails flitting around me. All are reminding me of God's wisdom and power and beauty. And I think of God's most incredible love... that came to Earth to live with us. It is awesome to know that God's never-ending love is here with us, every day, in every moment.

Read the Bible : Luke 24:13–35

This week's story is from the book of Luke. See if you can look it up in your bible, or online and read the story together.

Here's a great video from the Bible Society, about this seriously surprising story:

Watch this rather different interpretation of the story :o)

Questions to Ponder
Where do you see signs of God's love in the world?
How do you show love to God's creation and to other people?

You might like to talk about this with your family, and email or phone me with your ideas.


Pray
Have a go at this simple breath prayer. Begin by breathing in and out, slowly and
deeply. Read each line slowly and quietly. Repeat the prayer several times.

As you breathe in, say silently, “Peace be…
As you breathe out, say silently, “with you.”

Then, as you breathe in, say silently, “Peace be…
As you breathe out, say silently, “with me.”

God's Peace goes with you. Amen.

CHALLENGES

#1 Poppy Painting

Using a potato as a stamp, paint some poppies. If you don't want to waste a spud, then just use a paintbrush or your fingers. If you don't have paint at home, draw some poppies with pencils, crayons or felt pens.

# 2 ANZAC Biscuits

Try making these delicious ANZAC biscuits to share with your family.

Ingredients

125gm Flour

150gm Sugar

100gm Butter

1 Cup Coconut

1 Cup Rolled Oats

1 Tbsp Golden Syrup

½ tsp Bicarb Soda

2 Tbsp Boiling Water

¾ Cup Chocolate Chips (optional

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 180◦C

2.     Mix together in a big bowl flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats.

3.     Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan.

4.     Dissolve the bicarb of soda in a small glass with the boiling water.

5.     Add the soda mixture to the butter and golden syrup (it will bubble up lots so make sure you keep stirring)

6.     Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the golden syrup liquid in and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips if desired.

7.     Roll into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper.

8.     Bake for 15 – 20 minutes

# 3 Make a Poppy

You might like to make a paper poppy. Here's a tutorial I found for an easy one. If you don't have red card, you could use white and colour it with crayon or pencil. If you don't have a pipe cleaner for the stem, improvise with cardboard, a kebab stick, or an actual twig from the garden.

#4 Decorate Your Letterbox / Stand at Dawn

Decorate your letterbox either with poppies in acknowledgement of Anzac Day, or alternatively with messages of thanks to those working in the health sector in NZ, or for any person or people you are grateful for. 

Because none of the usual ANZAC Day Services or Parades can go ahead this year, Jacinda Adern has asked us to stand at our letterboxes at 6am on Saturday and take a moment to remember.

The RSA and New Zealand Defence Force would like us to remember those who given their lives for our country. This is a time to pay respect and acknowledge the many thousands of our military people who are serving or have served, who are called upon to support New Zealand in times of war, conflict and disasters.

Take a photo of yourself / and your bubble, at your letterbox.

#5 On the Road

This week's story from the bible is about some friends of Jesus discovering something seriously surprising on the road to Emmaus. This challenge has a few options:

a) Make a road (you could use cardboard, lego, whatever) and take a photo of something or someone on the road.

or...

b) Take a photo of a road in your neighbourhood. We'll see if we can recognise where it is!

c) Make a map of your neighbourhood, showing one of the routes you take when you go for a walk. Label the interesting spots you have noticed.

#6 Make a Jandal

Using paper, cardboard, or recycling a cereal box or page from a magazine... make a jandal like this one. 

# 7 Chalk Your Walk

Draw and/or write a message of kindness on your footpath in your street. It will be a nice surprise for people as they go on their daily walk. Take a photo of it and send it in!

Note: If you don't have any chalk, draw or write a message on paper and pin it to your fence, or to a tree nearby.

# 8 Go on a Gingko

A gingko is a Japanese word for a haiku poetry walk. Go on a walk... be calm... breathe... observe the moment unfolding before you. Take note of the sights, sounds, smells around you. You might like to take a notebook and jot down ideas as you walk. When you get home, try writing a tiny poem, to describe the things you noticed on your walk. Try to include adjectives (describing words) and details to really paint a picture with your words.

# 7 Road to Emmaus QUIZ

Read the story from the bible, or watch one of the videos above, then answer the questions in the quiz. Click HERE.

# 8 Be a Journalist

I'm putting this challenge from last week up again, as I think it would be really neat to get some more interviews up here on the blog. If you can't think of anyone to interview, send me a message and I can give you some people to phone. I'm sure they would LOVE to get a phone call from one of our Awesome Kids.

Phone an elderly neighbour, relative, or friend from church and interview them about their life. Have a list of questions ready. Some ideas could be:

What are your favourite things to do?

What did you do for a job, before you retired?

What was the naughtiest thing you did at school?

What did you do for fun, as a teenager?

Where is the most interesting place you've travelled to?

Who do you most admire in the world, and why?

What do you do best?

What is your favourite word?

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

What have been the most memorable moments in your life?

What is the most difficult thing for you right now?

What lessons do you think the world can learn from the past?

Using the information you gathered from the interview, write up an article about this person.